


A Soul That Shines Silver

by NinjaBread



Series: Of Life and Death: A Pokémon Nuzlocke Story [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: HeartGold & SoulSilver | Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions
Genre: Gen, Nuzlocke Challenge, Pokemon Death, Pokemon Journey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-01 13:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15143696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinjaBread/pseuds/NinjaBread
Summary: At 11 years old, a boy who goes by the nickname Bread, starts his journey as a Pokémon trainer. During his travels, he learns about the hardships in life and the world around him. Everyone is mortal after all, but the soul and the memories live on. The people and Pokémon that Bread forms close bonds with along the way each have a soul, and each one has a story, and their experiences to share.A Soul Silver nuzlocke.





	1. Grateful Greetings

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to make something like this for awhile so I finally decided to work on this.
> 
> Rules!  
> -The run doesn't officially start until I get Pokéballs  
> -First Pokémon you see in an area, you catch it  
> -If your Pokémon faints, it is considered dead, I just put them in the PC cause I don't like releasing them  
> -Species/Dupes Clause: If you encounter a Pokémon on a new area that is part of a line species you have already caught/have caught it already, it does not count as the first encounter  
> -No use of legendaries, but I caught one anyway  
> -Shiny Clause: We'll get to that maybe  
> -Level Limit: The order will be each Johto gym leader’s highest leveled Pokémon, Pokémon League’s highest leveled Pokémon, Red’s highest leveled Pokémon.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: Starter Time!  
> Part 2: Once Given, Once Stolen  
> Part 3: The New Recruits  
> Part 4: The Top Percentage.

Part 1: Starter Time! 

The cool breeze blows through New Bark Town. In the distance, the water over Route 27 shines a lustrous orange while the sun sets over Route 29. A girl and her round blue Pokémon walk along the path to their neighbor’s house, Bread, and rings the door. Bread, who’s real name is Brad, is startled by the sound of the doorbell, followed by his mother yelling to come downstairs. “Brad, it’s your friend, Lyra!” she yelled, which echoed throughout the dark room. Feeling groggy, he walked down the stairs to see a disappointed Lyra and her Marill

“Where have ya been all day Bread! It’s about seven and the professor has been waiting since three.”

Bread threw on his glasses and glanced at the clock. _Huh?_   Bread thought, _A four hour nap?_

“Uh, I’ll be there soon. I’m so sorry”

~~~

Bread quickly burst into Professor Elm’s lab and rushed to greet him. He wore always wore his light gray sweatshirt and navy pants. Well not all the time but it always fit him. Lyra called it his look. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Four hours late,” Elm gave a stern look. “Well no matter. I hope you are ready to begin your Pokémon adventure, despite it being late, the Pokémon around these parts are not too dangerous.”

“I’m ready as I’ll ever be! Though, I do feel uncomfortable with that red-haired guy staring out the window.”

“What red-haired guy?”

“The one right-” Bread pointed towards the window closest to them but no one was there.

“I understand that you’re still drowsy from your nap and all.”

“Yeah… So what is it that you want me to do anyway.”

“Why have a journey of course! Every trainer has gotta start from somewhere. Even I did. But first off, there is this one item I would like you to obtain from someone I call, Mr. Pokémon, down in Route 30.”

“Well let’s get this show on the road, show me Pokémon!”. With a press of a button, a vat containing three Pokéballs was opened. Each were individually labeled stating the name of each Pokémon and their respective typing. Bread carefully examined each Pokéball and decided to take the Grass type starter. “Ah, Chikorita I see,” Elm said. “Very interesting choice. I hope you and your Chikorita get along.”

Bread released Chikorita from the Pokéball. “I think I’m gonna name you Kawaii!”

“Well, good luck on your journey but don’t forget what I have asked of you two.”

And with that, Bread and Chikorita were on their way to see Mr.  Pokémon. While leaving the town Bread had noticed that the strange red-haired guy was gone. “Huh, he’s gone…”

“So you noticed too?” Kawaii spoke up. “That guy has been there all day but whenever we tell Elm, he’s not there when he looks. I’m worried about the others…”

“I’m sure they will be fine, besides Elm is there.”

Heading down Route 29 before the sunset, they made it to Cherrygrove City. The duo had met an old man showing them around and showing him the local Pokémart and Pokécenter After going down Route 30 they hit a fork in the road. One blocked by a trainer battle, and the other with a single house in the distance. Bread has always watched battles on TV but seeing it first hand has captivated him. A man sitting in front of his house next to an apricorn tree suddenly approached. “Hey please take this box, please just take it no one ever visits anyway. It’ll be helpful once you reach Azalea Town.”

“Thanks?”. Bread and Kawaii quickly scurried off.

~~~

Part 2: Once Given, Once Stolen 

After going through countless encounters of wild pokemon they arrived at Mr. Pokémon’s house. When walking inside, it was fairly small with a laptop and various wires attached to it. “Why hello there,” a man in a brown coat and hat approached. “I am Mr. Pokémon and this other man here is the famous Professor Oak. You must be Bread! Elm has told me much about you.”

“Ah, I see. He sent me to get an egg?”

“Oh! Of course. Excuse us, we were just having tea.”. Mr. Pokémonreached into a glass cabinet containing the egg. Bread carefully placed the egg into his bag. Just before he was about to leave Professor Oak came up to him. “I’ve heard you’re going to travel around the region with your Pokémon. Maybe one day you can come to Kanto and see the sights there as well.”

“One day…” Bread smiled.

After exiting the house, Bread received a frantic call from Professor Elm. He was practically screaming through the Pokégear. “Bread please come quick someone had broken into the lab and had stolen a precious starter Pokémon! Hurry!”

~~~

-Cherrygrove City-

They quickly stocked up and were just about stocked up to head back to New Bark Town, suddenly, they,  bumped into the same red-haired guy from before. “You… I challenge you to a battle. Surely I can defeat someone as weak as you!”. He tossed out a Pokéball, it was a Cyndaquil. “Flair?” Kawaii asked.

“Kawaii,” Flair answered back. “I’m sorry, I did not want this to happen. Elm did everything he could to stop it.”. There were only seconds of silence between the four until the red-haired boy became impatient. “Use tackle!”

“Kawaii you too!” Soon after the Cyndaquil fell.

“Hmph! I need to get stronger.” He returned Flair to the Pokéball and left. Bread was about to run back when he stepped on the boy’s ID card. _What an interesting name._ The red-haired boy noticed and snatched back the card without saying a word. “Come on Kawaii let’s…” he looked around to notice Kawaii was gone. He must have went ahead and Bread ran back to New Bark Town.

~~~

Bread looked at the scene when he arrived. Police tape formed an “X” around a broken window. He walked inside the lab to see Lyra and the Professor talking to a police officer. Also in the background was Jaws, the Totodile comforting Kawaii. “There’s Bread,” Lyra pointed out to the police officer. The police officer approached Bread and asked whether or not he had seen the mysterious figure.

“Oh I happened to bump into him on the way there. His name is Silver, red hair, dark jacket. Has a Cyndaquil with him from Elm’s lab.”

“Uh huh,” the officer nodded and scribbled on her notepad. “We will keep a vigilant eye out for the suspect, for now have a safe rest of your night.”. And with that, the officer, Lyra and Bread had left the lab. Kawaii had fallen asleep and  It was time to start a journey throughout the Kanto region.

~~~

Part 3: The New Recruits 

-Route 29-

“Okay time to find someone to join us on our adventure,” Bread said as he and Kawaii walked through the grass. “Though it is getting dark, Lyra and I have played around in this forest at dusk multiple times and we’ve been fine.”

“How close to New Bark?”

“Like my backyard…”

“You mean the nonexistent one?”

“That’s not the point!”

“At least Professor Elm’s Lab has portion of the forest near New Bark protected from wild Pokémon so he can conduct research where Flair, Jaws and I used to play.

“My my my, can you keep it down,” a mysterious voice sounded like it was coming from the forest. “You two bickering has caused me to arise from my restful slumber.

“Wh-who’s there?” Kawaii suddenly took a defensive position ready to tackle the hidden Pokémon.

“The name is ‘1 to 2’,” out of the shadows came a Hoothoot. “I come from a long line of Noctowls that are very knowledgeable about the vast Johto region and with a fateful encounter such as this; our line does believe in superstitions here and there, it may be of best interest to you that I may graciously join your team and assist you on you journey.”

“Sure why not!” Bread happily drew a Pokéball from his bag when Kawaii interrupted him.

“You’re just gonna believe him?”

“I can assure you I would be of best value being an addition. With what lies ahead, a lowly Chikorita is sure to get you nowhere.”

“Don’t call me lowly.”

“Kawaii, I think that 1 to 2 is a great first addition and I’ve seen a lot of bug catchers and route 30 and 31 ahead. You are a grass type, he is part flying.”. Kawaii reluctantly agreed to his reasoning and 1 to 2 joined the party.

~~~

-Route 46-

“Are you sure it’s safe to travel to Violet City at night? I feel like I’m being watched…” Kawaii nervously looked around. 1 to 2 followed Kawaii’s actions and scanned the area.

“I have the same feeling, but currently, nothing stands out or is being picked up from my peripheral vision either.”

“There is not really much on this Route…so if we are being watched it must be close by.” said Bread. Very carefully, a dark purple figure treaded lightly in the tall dark grass. It’s eyes aiming straight for the bag on Bread’s back.

“You know Bread? Maybe we should leave, Route 46 is giving me the creeps.”

“Yeah you’re right. Let’s ju-” suddenly a shadow leaped out from the tall grass and latched onto the backpack. “Get off you little rat!”

1 to 2 tackled the rat off the backpack. It recollected itself and faced Bread and the team with an angry look. “Can a rat just get some food over here. Holy shit! How long is it still I need to wait for another stupid ass picknicker to wander in this area again?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bread,, and with me are Kawaii and 1 to 2.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Name is Joey. Listen if you give me the fucking food I’ll leave.”

Joey was about to go back into the forest, suddenly Kawaii rushed in front of him. He dismissed the other and kept walking. “Out of the way, you fucking salad leaf, or I may have the temptation to eat you.”

“Wait why don’t you want to stay here, with us?”

“Kawaii be careful.” Bread was about to step forward, but 1 to 2 put a wing in front of him to resist him from going forward.

“Joey, why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“For one you are very vulgar. Second of all, it seems like you just prey on an unsuspecting passersby, in hopes of stealing their food. Third, you just want to be alone in general.”

“There’s a lot of things you may not know or will never know about me kid. Let’s just say I’m not the one who grew friendly towards people.”

“If you join the team you don’t have to keep living a life like this anymore.”

“This was how I grew up. This is all I ever know.”

Bread had stepped and bent down to talk to Joey. “Listen, it may seem like you have had a bad experience with people, but maybe I could be the one who cares for you and makes sure you have food on the metaphorical table very day. I could be the trainer that never was for you.”

**Joey was caught!**

~~~

The team were once again back on Route 30 and met a Kakuna named Winn. She was saved by Joey chasing of the local pidgey trying to attack her and was quickly taken back to the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy was able to patch up Winn and mentioned the bandage around her head stay there for an extra week. “Thanks for saving me out there, I was sure that would be the end of me.”

“You should really be more careful of the wild Pidgey in the area.”

“That was very reckless of me. I was escaping them in the first place. My home was overrun, I guess I was one of the few to survive.”

“Hey Kawaii, you mentioned that Elm has the forest between Route 27 and 29 contained and is free of wild Pokémon, correct?”

“Why yes that is so. May I ask why?”

“Maybe I can transfer Winn over there so she can live a peaceful life.”. Both Bread and Kawaii looked and smiled at each other, knowing that it would be best to leave Winn with Elm. Winn looked up with a glint of hope in her eyes, but quickly changed. “Won’t I be alone though.”

“Don’t worry about that, Elm will be there for any assistance if needed with Jaws for the time being,” Bread reassured Winn. “And I’ll let my mom know whenever I catch new Pokémon when I check in with her once in a while.  I’m sure she’ll be glad to know I am making new friends.”

**Winn was sent to Elm’s Lab!**

~~~

Part 4: The Top Percentage 

-Route 30-

Bread and Joey approached the fork in the road. Last time, the right path led to a dead end and Mr. Pokémon’s house, while the left path was now clear from the trainer battle. As they walked to the left they were approached by a young boy with a Pokéball in his and and fire in his eyes. “Hey you, I’m Joey! You got a Rattata, I got a Rattata, let’s fight to see who’s Rattata is in the top percentage of all Rattata’s. Personally I have the best, no one can beat my Rattata.”

“What a coincidence your name is Joey because my Rattata is also named Joey.”

“That’s really weird too because I named my Rattata Joey Junior. But, I guess that makes this battle even more important to see who’s the best. Joey Junior, use tackle!”

“Joey use tackle too.”

The battle ended up being shorter than what the youngster had expected. Bread had trained up his team a little bit right before heading to Violet City, knowing trainers would stand in his way. Youngster Joey started pouting, “Hey you crit! That’s not fair. Also you’re Rattata has a higher level than me!”

“Life isn’t fair kid,” Joey said. “Hand my trainer the fucking money.”

“Hey, we don’t swear in front of little kids.”

“My bad, hand my trainer the frickin money already.”

“Jeez, okay…” Joey handed over the money. “Hey why don’t we exchange numbers to have a rematch sometime? I’ll get stronger and beat your rattata someday.”

“Sure why not.”

After saying their goodbyes Bread continued along Route 30. Joey spoke up, “Only 64 Pokédollars? Sheesh.”

“Not everyone is rich you know.”

“Easy for you to say.”

~~~

-Route 31, near Dark Cave-

“Dark Cave, eh? I know a Geodude that lives there. Maybe if we dropped by I could persuade him to join us?”

“I’m surprised you even have friends.” Kawaii said.

“He actually helped me a lot when I first got here.” Joey gave a glaring look and Kawaii just stuck closer to Bread. 1 to 2 came back after scouting what was on Route 31 and perched on top of the cave entrance. “Bread, Violet City is close by with one trainer up ahead. And I also agree with Joey on this notion. Having a geodude with us could pose as a valuable asset against the first gym, which I might include is a flying type gym.” Bread thought about it carefully. Kawaii would not stand a chance against any flying type. Recently they had saved a Bellsprout named belle who accidentally angered a group of Weedle and bumped into Bread, who then sent her back to Elm’s lab. _Joey or 1 to 2 may not be able to sustain a fight against a flying type gym leader._ “Okay, let’s find your friend Joey!”. And then they team entered the Dark Cave.

It was pitch black and Bread only kept Joey alongside him upon his request to not scare his friend. “Geoff!” Joey yelled, the sound reverberated through the cave. “Ya here buddy?”. A response came back, “Joey? Is that you?”. A geodude rolled into the light that came from the cave entrance. “Good to see you buddy, long time no see.”

“Same here Geoff. This boy here is my trainer, Bread.”

“Oh, interesting. I’m surprised you even found a trainer to take you in. I mean that in the nicest way possible.”

“I know what you mean. Listen, we’re heading to Violet City and we’re gonna challenge the gym leader there. Turns out, that fucker has flying types and I thought that maybe you could join us to help?”

“I don’t see why not. It would be nice to get out and see the world, and get out of this cave. It gets boring, and the only thing that’s considered ‘fun’ around here is ‘whack-a-dunsparce’.”

**Geoff joined the team!**

~~~

-Gate to Violet City-

As Bread walked into the gate between Route 31 and Violet City he saw Lyra up ahead. “Hey Lyra.”

“Oh, nice to see you here Bread. Kind of startled me there.”

“Why are you here?”

“Funny you should ask, I was on my way to Goldenrod but I just thought it would be nice to see the sights along the way. Also, I was gonna stop by my grandparents who run the day-care center on Route 34.”

“Ah, I see. Well maybe we’ll see each other there.”

“Hopefully, maybe we should register each other on our Pokégears to keep in touch.”

Shortly after that they took a quick break to eat and agreed that they should walk into Violet City together.

“You ready Bread?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

This was just the beginning of a long journey.

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy and will enjoy the future of this story. Likes and comments are appreciated. 
> 
> Nickname; Name; Gender; Nature; Ability; Level; Location
> 
> Kawaii; Chikorita; Female; Gentle; Overgrow; Lv. 5; New Bark Town
> 
> 1 to 2; Hoothoot; Male; Quiet; Insomnia; Lv. 2; Route 29
> 
> Joey; Rattata; Male; Timid; Guts; Lv. 4; Route 46
> 
> Winn; Kakuna; Female; Bashful; Shed Skin; Lv. 4; Route 30
> 
> Belle; Bellsprout; Female; Hasty; Chlorophyll; Lv. 3; Route 31
> 
> Geoff; Geodude; Male; Hasty; Sturdy; lv. 2; Dark Cave


	2. Violet Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: Respect Your Elders.  
> Part 2: Egg Struggles and a Snake  
> Part 3: Vs. Falkner (Two Birds, One Geoff)  
> Part 4: Egg Struggles but we have a Slug Now.

Part 1: Respect Your Elders 

-Violet City: The City of Nostalgic Scents-

Bread and Lyra had stayed at the inn for the night and the next day. They had parted ways shortly after. Lyra recommended to Bread to try and train in Sprout Tower. Legends had been told saying that the swaying pillar in the center was a 100 foot Bellsprout. Speaking of Bellsprout, 1 to 2 had notified Bread that all the elders here had Bellsprout so he mainly relied on him to get through the tall building. The swaying pillar did make Bread feel a little uneasy, but the Bellsprout there seemed to enjoy it. With each step the floor creaked, which made it hard to not be noticed by wild Rattatas and the sages.  

Upon reaching the top floor, he noticed Silver, battling who he assumed to be the elder in Sprout Tower. Silver had just finished wrapping up the battle with a clear victory. The elder then handed Silver a technical machine, or ‘TM’ for short. Silver stormed past Bread, who he seemed to not have notice him. “Stupid old man telling me how I should treat my Pokémon. ‘Oh you should be nicer to them and not treat them as tools.’. I’ve got to get stronger no matter what it takes. For fuck’s sake, he is known as Elder Li, like, elderly?”

“Man that’s crazy.”

“I know right? Wait you?” Silver was now aware of Bread’s presence.

“The name is Bradley. But you could call me Bread”

“Yeah whatever, Bradley. I don’t have time for weak and puny trainers like you, go ahead and fight the old man if you want.” Silver then pulled out an escape rope, and then was gone. Bread didn’t know what to think. _Using Pokémon just as tools to become stronger? I never knew people thought of them like that. I consider everyone on my team, including Winn and Belle, as my friends._

Bread tried not to dwell on what Silver had said too much, instead focused on the battle with Elder Li. It was fairly short considering he was dealing with more Bellsprout and a Hoothoot but 1 to 2 took car of them easily.

“Ah what an excellent battle that was,” Elder Li said after their battle. “You seem worthy enough to take on Falkner, but I still recommend to do some training on Route 32. I sense a bright future ahead for you and your Pokémon.” Bread used an escape rope that the Elder had offered as a faster way of going down. Upon exiting the building, he smelled the scent of flowers from the various flowers from the windowsills. It reminded him of home and how he do garden work with his mom. He almost felt a little homesick, but the smell of violets made it feel like a home away from home. Suddenly, he received a call from his mom.

“Hey sweetie how are you?”

“I’m good mom. Why are you calling?”

“Oh I was just calling to let you know some of your Pokédollars that you get from battles and decided to put it in a bank account!”

“Oh that’s nice.”

“Maybe once in awhile I’ll buy you something for you and your Pokémon.”

“You don’t have to do that mom…”

“It’s the least I can do while your out on your journey.”

“Thanks mom, I love you. By the way, how are Winn and Belle.”

“Oh they’re just lovely, they told me about how you saved them and how they’re happy to be staying in Elm’s woods.”

“That’s great, I’m glad they’re doing fine.”

“They’ve been also helping around the house since you left. I just bought these new violet tulips for the garden, they’re just lovely. Belle has been helping me with the garden work.” Bread chuckles to himself.

“Anyway, I think I should be going soon, maybe grab some lunch.”

“Oh okay… well, goodbye, mahal kita.”

“Mahal kita din kita.”

~~~

Part 2: Egg Struggles and a Snake 

Bread and the team went to a coffee shop for lunch. The quiche they made was quite delicious and even ordered coffee, feeling a little rebellious since his mom always warned that coffee would stunt his growth. The owners of the shop were even nice enough to offer a free bag of Pokémon food they had made themselves, which they graciously accepted.

They then explored a little more of Violet City, including the trainer school, but he mostly knew the basics of Pokémon battles already. In the evening, they walked into the Pokémon Center only to notice a huge crowd and a camera or two on the right side of the building.

“Ah!” a booming voice said. “Thank you for coming! I’m so glad I got to meet you all.”

Photos were being taken with the man of attention. Selfies with fans. Autographs were also being handed out with a poster of his face. Various fans were telling him to sign certain things.

“Sign Pokégear!”

“Sign my face!”

“Primo sign my ass cheeks please!” Another fan yelled. Bread became a little creeped out. After a while the man named Primo said, “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today if you can tell me a secret code based on your trainer ID card, I might give you something special. The horde of fans let out a deafening screech in the Pokémon Center. Unfortunately, most of them left somewhat disappointed, especially the person who wanted to get their ass signed by Primo himself. Of course you need your trainer ID to find out a fucking code. But how exactly was one supposed to do that? He then decided to go to the library.

On his way into the library he accidently bumped into a mysterious girl and he fell to the ground. “Hey watch where you’re going. You could’ve seriously hurt my trainer!” Kawaii yelled at the girl.

“Fucking, sorry.” She replied she then proceeded to sift through her bag. A Porygon-Z was hovering beside her.

“It’s fine.” Bread said.  Bread looked up to see a girl about his age wearing pink knit hat slightly tilted to the side, leaving one side of her head, more exposed to the cool air. Her hair was similar to the color of the nearby trees, and on her hat, seemed to be a pin saying “I ♡ Turtle Pokémon” and another one below that saying “Big Mood”. She continued searching through her olive messenger bag, that rested upon her knee long skirt, and accidentally dropped a photo of a Lillipup, most likely her pet and drew out a piece of gum.

“Is this your Lillipup?” Bread asked while handing back the photo.

“Was my Lillipup.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, he was getting old anyway, we knew we had to let him go eventually.” The girl popped the piece of gum in her mouth and started chewing.

“Hey since you’re still here do you know anything about Primo’s secret codes?”

“Oh that guy? I’ve been trying to figure those out for a while, including a few of my internet friends. But I think we finally managed to make a code generator, you just gotta type in your trainer ID and you should be set. We were lucky that there’s only a specific set of words he uses for the codes.”

“And Primo doesn’t know about this?”

“Neither does half of his fanbase. Here take this.” She pulled out a card that listed a website and handed it to Bread.

“Oh thank you so much!” Kawaii gestured to Bread and the walked into the library. The Porygon-Z next to the girl spoke up. “Kippy, why would you just hand a stranger that, it could be leaked then we would all get in trouble.”

“We’ll be fine Tech-Wiz. It’s not like the fans who find out complain anyway. Plus we don’t even benefit from it in the first place. So in the end, it’s fine. Let’s just go. I at least wanna go shopping for some cute clothes only in Johto.”

“Whatever you say, master.” The Porygon-Z sarcastically bowed and both let out a laugh. The girl named Kippy adjusted her ponytail and exited Violet City towards the east.

~~~

Bread pulled into the chairs next to one of the computers and typed in the website. All he needed to do was put in the trainer ID card as simple as that. It’s not like it was used for anything much really because everyone had a secret trainer ID number that only they themselves knew.  Kawaii read the ID out loud as he typed it in. He jotted down the two codes and ran back to the Pokémon Center

He walked up to Primo, who stood next the PC box, dismissing fans who said the incorrect codes. “Hello?”

“Oh hello there! You must be a fan of mine hoping to get a special prize, eh? Well first you gotta tell me the correct codes, if you even know them.” He then laughed to himself. Bread furrowed his brow but then told him the two codes, “Hyper Cutter Playhouse” and “Dream All Right”. Primo was in shock. “H-here you go kid, a Slugma egg. It’s bound to hatch soon so keep a lookout for when that happens. An-anyway, you can go now.” Primo gestured Bread to leave him alone while he figure out how he knew the secret codes. Smirking, Bread went back to the inn he was temporarily staying at and left the egg with 1 to 2 and Joey  to watch over. All that was left was to head out on Route 32 to catch another member to the team.

~~~

-Route 32-

“Why are we out this late, I wanna sleep.” Geoff pouted.

“I told you,” Bread started. “I just want to catch something here. Just be glad the inn offered a lamp while we’re out. It feels so authentic.”

“It’s fake.”

“Stop ruining it for me.” Kawaii released themselves from his Pokéball to but in on the conversation. “Quit bickering you two, god you’re making me sound like 1 to 2. Like Bread said, catch whatever we see and go this place is giving me the creeps.”

“Kawaii, there’s no such thing as ghosts.”

“Is too!”

“Stop being a crybaby. I got used to living in dark places my whole life.”

“When we were at the entrance of Sprout Tower I saw you look up and nearly pass out.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

“You’re a Geodude! You live in the mountains.”

“Live _in_ them, not on them.”

“Your kind rolls down mountains all the time?”

“That’s a stereotype, not all Geodudes do that.” Suddenly, a long black shadow lashed out at Bread, not to hurt, but to knock him down. He dropped the lamp, which casted a large circle of light upon the thicket of the trees and bushes. Suddenly a shadow came into view from the light, tall, and menacing, baring its fangs like a dragon about to swallow its victim. Bread crawled back, clearly startled by what kind of Pokémon that was.

Kawaii was fed up, both with Geoff and what he had just seen in his peripheral view. As Geoff was was still arguing(Were they still arguing? At this point they were just speaking gibberish and yelling at each other.), Kawaii picked up the lamp that had dropped on the ground and moved it over to the right to reveal an Ekans, bobbing its body up slowly and opening its mouth at various angles.  “Hey,” Kawaii sopek up and clearly startled the purple snake. “Can you stop scaring my owner, and stop doing those weird things.”

“Oh so you think you can just ruin my streak of scaring trainers? Can you?” The Ekans spoke in a mellow tone as it slowly slithered up to Kawaii. “My, my, my. A Chikorita. I wonder how you taste. That leaf on you head does smell delightful.” Kawaii was too late to notice that the Ekans wrapped themselves around him and was slowly strangling him. “Don’t struggle. It’s okay.” He needed help fast, or else he would up as a meal for a measly Ekans. Luckily, Geoff watched while Kawaii left him and Bread snapped out of his state of fear when he realized the background noise of Kawaii and Geoff became silent.  Moments before Kawaii fell unconscious, Geoff tackled the Ekans and freed him from the Ekans’ grasps. He caught his breath while Geoff and Bread talked decided what to do with the unconscious Ekans. “We can’t just leave them there!” Bread exclaimed clearly worried about the Ekans.

“I mean we could. They did almost kill our friend.”

“Okay that was your fault for not paying attention where he went while you were yelling.”

“You didn’t even do anything, you so scared you couldn’t even move.”

“Okay,” Kawaii said. “One: thanks, could’ve been a lot sooner though. Two: I say we catch him. Three: Geoff before you say anything I’m sorry also this our only chance to get someone here and it is literally here.”

“You out of all the ones to say that?”

“Sure why not, I mean we could end up being friends, I’m sure they didn’t mean to try and almost vore me.” The Ekans groggily arose in a conscious state. “Are they gone?” the Ekans asked.

“Is who gone?”

“My parents.” The four of them looked around. The area was silent.

“I guess they are. Sorry if I almost tried to vore you, my family does this whole thing where we have to scare some trainers… I guess this backfired. Heh”

“Well, I’m Kawaii the one you tried to vore. This here is Bread and Geoff. What’s your name?”

“Charbok. My dad named me after my grandpa, expecting to live up to him and be a great leader and hunter for our family one day. But, to be honest I don’t really want to be like him. Sure our family is one of the most renowned lineage of Arbok’s in Johto, but I just can’t live up to his expectation. I’m a disappointment.”

“Don’t be sad,” Kawaii wrapped his arms around the snake to give him a hug. “You sure scared us a while ago.”

“Yeah, I guess I did do good then. Say, can I join you guys. I don’t really want to go back there and end up being scolded again.”

“Bread? Geoff?”

“Well Geoff? I think Charbok could be good for our team.”

“I mean I gue-”

“Yay! Welcome to the team Charbok!” Charbok gave a smile and with a toss of a Pokéball, Charbok was caught.

~~~

Part 3: Vs. Falkner (Two Birds, One Geoff) 

-Violet City Gym-

Upon entering the gym, he was greeted by a gym guide who basically told him the type matchups for flying type Pokémon. He didn’t need that advice, since he already had a rock with him. This was gonna be a walk in the park for him. The two trainers in the gym ended up being no difficulty for Geoff. He then stepped up to Falkner. “Greetings challenger! I am Falkner, the gym leader of Violet City. My dad used to run this, but then he gave it to me when I was old enough. But that’s enough talking, let’s get into it. Go Gee!” Falkner led the battle with his Pidgey. It went down with Rock Throw, but not before it used Sand-Attack. “My eyes!” Geoff cried out. “Stop acting like you’re dying, you can still fight.”

“I know, but, it just stings. Hmph.”

“Okay, I’m down to my last Pokémon. It’s time for you to shine Jotto.” Falkner sent out his Pidgeotto, which seemed more scary than Pidgey, but turned out to be even more annoying. The fact that Geoff’s accuracy was lowered from Sand-Attack and the constant spamming of Roost, it would almost seem like the fight would just stall out. Until there was a crit. “No my bird Pokémon.” Falkner rushed up to his Pidgeotto and returned it to its Pokéball. “My dad gave these Pokémon to me, I’m glad they fought well,” _If fighting well was being a little shit._

“Nevertheless, you deserve this badge, take it. Along with it I will give you  TM51, Roost.” Bread was handed a badge that resembled a shape of bird wings, along with the technical machine. It was so shiny, he couldn’t even believe that he got his first official gym badge. It would be the first of many to come. “We did it kid.” Geoff said proudly, hands on what would considered to be his hips.

“Yeah… We did it…” Bread excitement was practically bursting with excitement, when he left the gym, he jumped up and down in the air and screamed. He didn’t mind the weird stares he got from people, he was too proud of himself. Falkner had mentioned that he should be heading to Azalea Town next but since it was evening already, he might as well stay one more night here.

~~~

Part 4: Egg Struggles, but We Have a Slug Now 

_Bzzt. Bzzt._

Bread picked up the Pokégear. Professor Elm was calling, but this time in a much calmer manner. “Hello? Remember the egg that I asked you to deliver to me, I was wondering if you could take of it instead? I don’t want this to be a burden to you, but it would be better if the egg were in your hands.” _Another egg? I’m already about to hatch the egg Primo gave me, and my reward for beating my first gym is another egg”_ “Uh, professor, I’d be happy to.” Bread put on a fake smile.

“Great because there is already an assistant in the Poké Mart with the egg already!” _Already?!_ I guess there was really no choice but to get the egg now. He let out a huff and begrudgingly walked to the mart, he needed to prepare for not being able to sleep in an inn all the time anyway.  

~~~

Bread exited the Poké Mart wondering what kind of Pokémon was inside the egg Elm had given. At the door, he noticed a young woman dressed in a kimono. “Ah what interesting eggs you have,” The woman said and pointed to the two he had. So this one must be a Slugma egg that Primo gave, and the one Professor Elm gave must be a Togepi egg. I do hope you take good care of them, especially the Slugma.” It was weird to Bread how she knew so much, including who gave the eggs and what was going to hatch from them. But he just brushed it off.

“Well, I’ll be taking off. Maybe one day we’ll meet again.”

“Again?” But the girl in the kimono was already leaving, slowly twirling her parasol as she walked.

~~~

“How did she even know that the egg Elm handed was a Togepi?”

“That’s what I was wondering?”

“Well Bread,” 1 to 2 was perched at the edge of the bed. “The Kimono Girls have a dance theater in Ecruteak, which is a very old town that holds a great history. They most likely are tied with the legendary Pokémon Lugia and Ho-Oh. But it has been such a long time since sightings of those have been reported.”

“Interesting.”

“Interesting indeed. One of them did approach you after all…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  
“Maybe they want you to be chosen as the one to summon one of the legendary Pokémon.”

“Me?” Bread was in disbelief. “Are you crazy?”

“Last time I checked, I’m still sane. So no. But, the Kimono Girls do work in mysterious ways.”

~~~

Bread became impatient. He walked around, did some training, and battled the gym leader since he obtained the Slugma egg, but it still didn’t hatch. Then he got an idea.

“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Charbok asked, a worried expression was on his face.”

“As long as ya don’t end up squeezing it to death.” Joey remarked.

“That was one time, okay?”

“I know, I know. All you is wrap yourself around the egg and warm it up to make it hatch faster.” It didn’t seem to be so bad. Charbok actually liked it, warming the egg. It was quite warm. Too warm. Hot. _Very hot._ Too hot! Burning! “Ouch!”

“What the fuck?”

“The egg is burning!”

“No its no-” Joey then tapped the egg and even felt heat emanating inches away from the shell. “Holy shit it is.”

Bread heard the commotion and got up to see. “Is it finally hatching?” Pieces of the shell broke off bit by bit. A red flaming slug wriggled out of the whole it just made.

**Slugma hatched from the egg!**

Bread wearily approached the Slugma, making sure not to scare the little guy. “Hey there.”

“Hola. Who are you?” Despite being a somewhat high-pitched voice, his voice sounded smooth, like cream, or maybe lava in this case but not trying to kill anything.

“I’m your new trainer. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh yay! I have friends!” The Slugma was overjoyed. Bread smiled. He already considered everyone as a friend, even though some of team members still had trouble getting along with each other, although it was mostly friendly banter.

“I think I’ll name you Cargamento.”

“Oh that’s a wonderful name for me!” Bread’s brain was overflowing with cuteness. He didn’t even know slugs could be this cute! _I must protect this adorable creature at all costs, its sooooooo adorable!_ Maybe getting the egg from Professor Elm wasn’t so much of a regret after all…

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up for some of the encounters, they won't really be mentioned in game sometimes(Keyword: sometimes). But I don't want to reveal too much.
> 
> Charbok; Ekans; Female; Hardy; Intimidate; Lv. 4; Route 32
> 
> Cargamento; Slugma; Male; Adamant; Flame Body; Lv. 1; hatched in Cherrygrove City, obtained from Primo
> 
> Banshee; Gastly; Female; Quirky; Levitate; Lv. 5; Sprout Tower


	3. Night Owls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: Unexpected Bridge Rendezvous  
> Part 2: A Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may have noticed that I changed the summary and that it is now part of a series.  
> One: I have put the old summary in the description of the series. Also the title is changed since "Of Life and Death" will be the name of the whole series.  
> Two: This is a series so that means there's gonna be more shit. Yay!  
> Sorry if you read it before and are now confused that the summary is different. Hopefully that clears stuff up.

Part 1: Unexpected Bridge Rendezvous 

It was midnight. Joey couldn’t sleep. He even tried curling up to Charbok and Cargamento for some warmth, but it made him feel more restless. He needed air. He quietly snuck outside of the inn and went outside. A gentle breeze passed by. It felt nice on his fur. He didn’t want to just stand outside, so he decided to sit down on the bridge connecting Sprout Tower and the rest of Violet City. He looked down at the water and saw his reflection. Tired. Had he been getting enough sleep? Ever since Kawaii convinced him to come along it didn’t seem like it, although on the outside he still acts like his angry, bitter self. He splashed some of the water on his face, disturbing the still water, then took a deep breath and sighed. “So you’re out here too?” Joey was so startled he almost fell in the lake.

“Arceus christ you fucking scared me!”

“I do so humbly apologize.” 1 to 2 said. He was on top of the bridge railing gazing across the lake. Joey must have not noticed he was there until now.

“What the fuck are you doing out here.”

“I could not fall asleep.”

“Whoop-de-fucking-doo, you and me both.”

“Can you not be so loud and vulgar, it is precisely 1:52 AM.”

“Whatever.”

“So if I may ask, what can you not sleep.”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not used to sleeping with an actual roof over my head since, forever. Bread actually cared enough to take someone like me in. He saved Winn and Belle. I never knew someone that treated Pokémon nicely and cared for them in so long. It feels so foreign. What about you?”

“I think I felt a little homesick. I forgot to say goodbye, so I just left while earlier around 1:19 AM to do so. I am sure that my cousin will miss me dearly when they found out that I’m on an adventure .” Joey wondered what it was like to have someone miss them, he wondered if that someone still misses them.

They sat in silence for a while, just looking out at the lake. Footsteps were heard and they quickly turned around to see Kawaii, Charbok, Geoff and Cargamento. “What’s the kid doing out here?”

“You see, Charbok wanted to go tell his family that he was fine but didn’t want to go alone. We noticed you two were gone, so I woke up Geoff. We were about to leave but then Cargamento woke up and he wanted to go. We said no, but he was going to cry, and we didn’t want to wake Bread up so we just took him along.”

“Oh great.”

“Charbok?” Geoff asked. “Are you really going to do this? It seems like you don’t really have the best relationship if you just left like that.”

“I kind of have no choice. He’s probably worried sick where I am and I just want to let both my parents know that I’m safe and that I want to go on this adventure with you guys and Bread.”

“Yay!” Cargamento yelled out.

“Be quiet please. We don’t want to wake anyone up.”

“Okay guys,” Geoff suggested. “Let’s just go and let Charbok do his thing or whatever, and then leave.” The gang then headed towards Route 32 so Charbok could say goodbye to his family.

~~~

Part 2: A Goodbye 

-Route 32-

“Here’s the plan: I go talk with my parents while you guys hide in the trees or bushes. Whatever you can find for cover, just do not get noticed.” Kawaii wondered what would happen if they did. “Also Kawaii, the smell of the leaf on your head is surprisingly strong right now.”

“Sorry. I can’t really help it. The smell gets stronger when I’m nervous.” _Oh so that explains it._ Charbok thought. They had entered a small clearing in the forest. Charbok gestured that his friends hide now. “Dad? Mom?” He called out. The only thing that happened were a group of Spearow flying above the trees. Then he knew he was there. Behind him. “Hi dad.” Charbok said in a low monotone voice.

“Ah my son! You’re alive! Here!” His mom was there beside him.

“Yeah, I am.”

“That’s good, that’s good. So you managed to escape that trainer and their Pokémon?”

“Um, actually dad. That’s what I wanted to talk to you and mom about.”

“Oh, Charbok sweetie, you can tell us anything.”

“Well I-”

“Oh, that reminds me dear. Charbok, I hope you understand that you failed to do what I asked of you. You have been having strange for the past couple of weeks. Failing to catch some of your prey, not finishing your food,  looking sad all the time. As someone who is soon going to take over, a leader should not act like that. And secondly, where the hell were you?” His dad was starting to get angry. His mother seemed worried. “You were gone for a day! We thought you were dead!”

“I was goin-I mean, I-” He started to panic.

“Son?”

“Yes, dad?”

“When did you escape?”

“Oh when? Haha. That’s a good que-”

“Answer, the damn question son.” He whipped the ground with his mighty tail shaking the ground. “When did you escape?”

“Honey, I think that’s enough.”

“This is between me and Charbok, honey.”

“You don’t actually plan on leaving with that trainer to travel the world, do you?”

“So what if I wanna? That’s my choice and you should respect it.”

“Do you dare defy me? You are the next successor, my heir. You. Are. Staying. Here.”

“No. I’m leaving now. Goodbye mom.” On his way out Charbok’s dad slithered in front of him.

“Not so fast. And don’t think I know you brought your little friends here too.” Then his friends came into the clearing, but with several other Arboks behind them. He could make out Kawaii mouthing the words “sorry”. _What now? Think Charbok, think?_ Then without thinking, he bit his father’s tail followed by a loud yelp.

“Why you little-” His sentence was thankfully interrupted from the chaos behind them. The other Charbok were running around in the midst of ember burns, rock throws, a flurry of leaves, and the occasional tackles. His friends were fighting back, this was there chance for them to escape. His father still was not having any of it and grabbed him by the tail. Fire was in his eyes. Then his mom crashed into them. “Go! Please!”

“Mom wait! Please, come with us!”

“Don’t worry about me, just go. Before your dad wakes up. Goodbye.” and Charbok left. Although sad to leave his mother behind, knew he couldn't stay and bring her along. He slithered away as fast as he could, and met up with the rest of the team at the entrance of Route 32.

~~~

They were all exhausted. They were just glad that they weren’t being pursued by any of the lackeys that caught them. “That was fun!” Cargamento jumped for joy, still full of energy.

“In a way that was kinda fun.” Joey said.

“It’s nice working together without bickering every second.” replied Geoff.

“As Joey would say, ‘We kicked their fucking asses.’” They all laughed at what 1 to 2 had just said, and headed back towards the inn where Bread was still soundly sleeping, oblivious of the events that took place in those early hours of the morning.

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new Pokémon were introduced so that's less copy/pasting for me. Sorry if this was a shorter chapter, the next one is gonna be longer I promise.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a like and comment.


	4. A Day in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: A Rod, some Balls and a Fat Guy  
> Part 2: Shelter  
> Part 3: The Basics  
> Part 4: Where We Are Now

Part 1: A Rod, Some Balls, and a Fat Guy 

-Route 32 Pokémon Center, near Union Cave-

“Longest. Route. Ever.”

“Hey, be glad that 1 to 2 told me we could get a Miracle Seed and a Poison Barb from that girl, Frieda.”

“Yeah, I guess? But there were like five million fishermen.”

“Actually,” 1 to 2 said. “There were only four fishermen located on Route 32.”

“That one fishermen that had four magikarp made it feel like there were a lot.”

“Well, rest up you guys. Union Cave is up ahead, and then we can finally get to Azalea Town.”

“Oh great,” Kawaii groaned. “More Pokémon that I’m super effective against.”

“According to my knowledge. We will only encounter two fire breathers on our way through Union Cave, so that is slightly less battling for you.”

“‘Less’, is an understatement.”

“The next gym has bug types, so you can relax after we get there.”

After taking a lunch break, Bread noticed a fat guy and a fisherman walk in. From the looks of it, it was starting to rain. The fat man seemed to be putting a pink object in the shape of a cornucopia on the table he sat at. Meanwhile, the fisherman that walked in noticed Bread, and then approached him. “Say kid, are you a Pokémon trainer?”

“Mhm. Why are you asking?”

“Well, from what I can see, it seems like you don’t have a fishing rod. And no trainer is a trainer without a fishing rod.”

“I guess?”

“Good, here’s an Old Rod on me. Don’t take it the wrong way. Also, since Pokémon you catch from fishing are water types, take these lure balls. A guy named Kurt, in Azalea town makes custom Pokéballs using apricorns.” Bread took the lure balls from the man and realized he only gave two lure balls. It was starting to get weird. They looked at each other and awkwardly laughed. Bread knew it was time to leave. As Bread was leaving, the fat man had set up his mini shop. The sign read, “Slowpoke tails: 1 Mill. Pokédollars. Super tasty and nutritious!”. Everyone that passed by were skeptical of the price and gave weird looks. Bread paid no heed to the greedy fat man and walked towards Union Cave alongside Joey. By the time he got inside, the drizzle turned into a steady rainfall. The cave was cool and somewhat damp, but better than staying outside in the rain. _Pop!_ Bread noticed that Geoff left his Pokéball and found him standing in the rain, eyes closed. Letting the water wash off the dirt and dried mud from some of the fights on Route 32. “Geoff, what are you doing?” Bread asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Oh, well, I just thought rock and ground types don’t like water that much…”

“That’s just another one of those stereotypes. I love the rain and water in general. It feels nice. It reminds me of something. Wouldn’t you agree Joey?” Joey blankly stared at Geoff for a moment, but a faint smile crept upon his face. It both reminded them of that day. That day in the rain.

~~~

Part 2: Shelter 

-Route 33, four years ago-

It was getting late, the downpour on Route 33 wasn’t letting up anytime soon. Shelter. He needed shelter. He was alone, scared, weak. No one was coming to save him. He might as well die now. The cave was so close. Yet he couldn’t find enough strength to get there. He managed to make it to the nearby apricorn trees, and curled up into a ball, looking into the cave entrance, wishing he could get there. It was cold. So cold. He just wanted to sleep. Maybe everything would go away when he woke up. Maybe he didn’t want to wake up.

~~~

Geoff usually cuts across the Alph Ruins to Union Cave, but by the time he got there, the thunder and rain started rolling in. _I guess I have to stay the night. As much as I like the rain, I’d catch a cold by the time I get back home._ He doesn’t mind staying with his friends in Union Cave, there’s much more fun to be had. He loves it when they rip out the stalagmites and use them as swords. Or when they would play games with the Corsola and Lapras in the lower levels of the cave that connected to the sea. They also had good relationships with the trainers in that area as well. The hikers would tell tales of ghosts and they would watch the fire breathers put on spectacular shows with their Pokémon. The hikers were also kind enough to give some of their food once in a while, but the rocks and minerals in the caves taste just as good, if not better. So they usually save it for special occasions or emergencies. Today happened to be the latter. “Ah, I wish the rain would let up a little bit.” He said.

“Yeah, it feels so nice!” His friend, Sanskrit, the Sandshrew said.

“I guess it’s also nice to take in the scenery while raining. The way the water just falls off of everything.”

“Mhm. Like the tall grass, the trees, the apricorn, that sickly looking Rattata.”

“Say that last part again.”

“Oh the apricorn, the sickly looking Rat-oh shit!”

“We shouldn’t just stand here!” They quickly sprinted to help the Rattata, wet and cold from the rain, and took him inside. Geoff asked Sanskrit and nearby Zubat to prepare a makeshift bed for the Pokémon while he got food and fresh water. _Poor little guy. I wonder how long her was out there._ When he got back, he saw the Rattata sleeping peacefully, but still slightly shivering. He looked thin. _How long has he gone without food?_ Geoff couldn’t just leave the rat alone, so he decided to take a nap next to help keep them warm. Maybe he would wake up then.

~~~

He woke up. He was alive. But how? _I should’ve been fucking dead._ He looked around to notice he was inside a cave, surrounded by dried leaves and old cloth. This was definitely real. There was food, human food, and a bowl-shaped rock with water. He also felt something hard. _A Geodude? Curled up next to me?_ He had so many questions. But his stomach rumbled. He ate the food and drank the water laid out before him. He felt satisfied, and much better than before. The Geodude started to rise from his slumber. “Oh I see you’re awake.”

“Yeah… I guess. Sorry I didn’t leave any leave any leftovers.”

“It’s no biggie. I’m glad you ate!” Silence. “So, what’s your name.”

“My name? Joey.”

“Nice to meet you Joey. Seems like you’ve come a long way. Got a home?”

“Used to. Fucking humans abandoned me.”

“I’m sorry.” Geoff tried to comfort him. “Not all humans are like that.

“Guess you’ve never been to Goldenrod. Those bitches won’t even bat a single eye to help a poor Pokémon like me.”

“Not everyone is a good person out there. Do you have anywhere to stay.”

“No.” Tears were welling up in Joey’s eyes. Geoff had an idea.

“Say! You could stay with me. I don’t live here but I’m staying the night because of the rain. I’ll take you back to my place tomorrow and you can live with me.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Thank you so much!” Joey hugged Geoff and he patted his head. He could feel the tears fall on his body.

“Please. Stay with me.”

“I wouldn’t leave ya.” Eventually, Joey fell asleep. The sound of the rain outside, faintly echoing through the cave. It was soothing. He needed the rest. It was gonna be a long day tomorrow if he’s gonna teach Joey how to survive in the wild. At least the basics.

Part 3: The Basics 

-Ruins of Alph-

“This place fucking gives me the creeps.”

“The Ruins of Alph always has that kind of vibes. I heard from the local ruin maniacs, that when they turn on their radio, weird noises play.”

“Geez.”

“It’s most likely interference from the Unown, but the ones I’ve met are pretty chill.”

“You’ve actually met those?!”

“Like I’ve said, the ones I’ve met were pretty chill. Anyway, we’re not here to talk about the Ruins of Alph. We’re here so you know how to live out in the wild.”

“But why teach me here?”

“So you know how to scavenge for food. You’re not really gonna eat rocks like me for the rest of your life. Humans are easy targets to steal food from. Of course, the apricorns and fruit growing on trees are also other sources of food too but it’s nice to take it when you have the chance.”

“So what do I do?”

“See that ruin maniac over there?” The ruin maniac was sitting down outside one of the house in the Ruins of Alph with a lunchbox next to it. He then quickly got up, as if he forgot something, and entered the house. “Now is our chance.” Geoff quickly rushed over to grab the lunchbox and Joey ran after him.

“That was easy.”

“As simple as that, you see?” The duo heard the turning of the door knob and were face to face with the man who they had just taken the lunch from. “Why you little fuckers.”

“I think we should run.”

“Good idea.”

“Hey! Get back here!” The maniac watched helplessly as Geoff and Joey ran towards the trees and vanished. “My wife made it for me.”

~~~

-Dark Cave entrance-

“Whew,” Geoff panted. “That was fun.”

“He didn’t even fucking bother to chase us.”

“That’s lunch for you. We’ll head out later to get dinner.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll be able to do it myself now.”

“Well, you can look around for a place to call home. I would offer you to stay in Dark cave but it’s not really suited for ones not used to constant darkness.”

“Wait I don’t want you to leave me!” Joey never knew anyone who cared so much about him except the boy he used to live with. He always wanted Geoff by his side. But he also knew that Geoff was not always going to be there.

“How about this: I’ll help you find a place around the area and stay with you for a while there. And we could always visit each other when I go back to Dark Cave. I’m always here to help and I promise I’ll be there to protect you need it.”

“Really?”

“I really promise.” That day, Joey made a friend. The second friend he ever had.

~~~

Part 4: Where you are Now 

-Union Cave entrance, Geoff’s POV-

I love the rain. It reminds me of the day I met you. Frail, scared, and lonely. That’s how I would’ve described you. I’m glad you convinced me to join. Of course I would’ve joined anyway, because of the promise I made to you. I promised to be there and protect you, and even though you didn’t say it out loud, I could tell that you would promise to do the same for me. Now look where you are. You’re more independent, and stronger, but I can tell you’re still bitter from what happened to you those years ago. Maybe that’s why you’re more vulgar than when I first met you. I just hope that if I go before you, that you still live on, that you keep fighting. And I’ll do the same if it happens to you. After all, we made promises to each other. Right, Joey?

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Likes and comments are appreciated. Hope you enjoyed, even though part 3 and 4 felt a little sloppy to me :/  
> Also I'm putting Union Cave's and Route 33's encounter b/c next chapter start's right away in Azalea Town.
> 
> X-Wing; Zubat; Male; Jolly; Inner Focus; Lv. 9; Union Cave
> 
> Pippin; Hoppip: Male; Quirky; Leaf Guard; Lv. 6; Route 33


	5. Azalea Apprehension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: Team Rocket, Kurt and a Slowpoke  
> Part 2: Vs. 1/3 of an Atom  
> Part 3: Vs. Bugsy [TRIGGER WARNING]  
> Part 4: Vs. Silver (Again?)  
> Part 5: Sounds Farfetch’d

Part 1: Team Rocket, Kurt, and a Slowpoke 

-Azalea Town: Living Happily with Pokémon-

Upon entering Azalea Town, Bread noticed a strange man dressed in black, with a big red “R” in the front blocking the entrance to what appeared to be the well-known Slowpoke Well. A man approached the one blocking the entrance and the other got scared. “Oh just wait until Kurt knows about this!” The man yelled, and he stormed off. After the man left the strange man glared at Bread. “Whaddya want? Unless you wanna get a beat down, I suggest you act like you saw nothin’.” Bread carefully walked past the stranger and headed to the main area of the town.

_For a place that was known for people and Pokémon living happily together, there sure weren’t a lot of Pokémon._ Only people were walking about minding their own business, and the gym seemed to be blocked by someone who dressed similar to the one blocking Slowpoke Well. The town itself was pretty small, considering it was surrounded by an entire forest. But it’s attractions is what brought people in. More specifically, Kurt, a well known custom Pokéball creator who uses apricorns. Before Pokéballs were a thing, apricorns were used instead to catch Pokémon. There was also the Charcoal Kiln, where they produced charcoal, obviously. The Farfetch’d would collect wood in Ilex Forest in order to produce said charcoal. After quickly healing up at the center, Bread decided to head to Kurt’s house after witnessing what happened near Slowpoke Well. As he approaching the house, an old man with gray hair, and a blue shirt burst out the door yelling, “I’ll save you Slowpoke!”. Meanwhile, staring out the door from the house was a little girl and the other old man from before wondering what they both just witnessed.

~~~

-Slowpoke Well-

Bread cautiously climbed down the ladder. At the bottom he met the old man that ran past him and a Slowpoke. “Sir, are you okay?”

“Yeah, just a sprain despite the drop. I’ve seen better days. Luckily this Slowpoke was here and managed to defend off the grunt to protect me. Alongside Kurt was a dopey faced Slowpoke, content with their accomplishment. “Nice to me ya!   The name is Anesthesia.” With that she yawned. “I was going to leave to call for help but I ended up in this situation. Oh well, you’re here now.”

“I thought Team Rocket disbanded years ago? What are they doing here in Johto, hurting poor defenseless Slowpoke?”

“Beats me. And the tail thing? From what I’ve heard when sneaking past them, it’s just a scam to make money. They’re not nutritious, and the tails grow back anyway.”

“Well if it’s not that big of a deal-“

“Hold up! They’re keeping my friends and family hostage back there. You think me and some old dude that sprained their leg are aren’t here for nothing?”

“I was only joking.” Anesthesia glared at Bread. Maybe he was half joking.“Come on, let’s save them.”

~~~

Part 2: Vs. ⅓ of an Atom

The Rocket Grunts were… well… just grunts. Despite having poison types, Kawaii easily took down some of them. At the very end of the path there was an open part of the cave with Slowpoke, with their arms and legs tied up in one corner, yelling at the grunts that were keeping them at bay. Someone, who was also dressed in the Team Rocket uniform, leaned against the wall, but he didn’t seem like the others. “So,” He said as he stood. “I see someone has decided to actually save the poor little things. The name is Proton. We ain’t doing anything wrong, just making a quick buck, and then we’ll be leaving. Simple as that.”

“By tying up Slowpoke and cutting off their tails?”

“You gotta do what you gotta do to get things done.”

“It’s cruel and you know it.”

“Please stop telling me what I already know, Zubat, take care of this brat.”

“Geoff, have at ‘em!” As weak as a Zubat is, it can be annoying to deal with when it hits Supersonic and confusion’s effect happens three times in a row. Sadly, that was the case but they are as easy to take down as they are found in every cave in existence. “Bet you can’t handle my Koffing though.”

“Nah,” Geoff said. “A ball of gas won’t be able any problem.” Geoff used Rock Throw once again, but the Koffing didn’t seem like it took much damage.

“Use Poison Gas!” Bread had no choice but to switch out Geoff for Charbok. _This is gonna be a long fight._

While Proton was busy battling Bread, this gave a chance for Anesthesia and the rest of Bread’s team to dave the other Slowpoke. Proton seemed to notice just as Cargamento finished burning off the last of the rope. “Hey! What are you doing?”

“You gotta do what you gotta do, sweetie.” Anesthesia teased. Meanwhile,  Charbok had just finished continuously biting the Koffing and it went down. “Tch.” Proton spat. “Can’t believe a fuckin’ brat beat me. This ain’t over. Team Rocket will rise again.”

“Tell me when that happens. Maybe Neutron and Electron can join as well?” Bread chuckled.

“Hey shut the fuck up. I’m leaving now.” He stormed off. “Makin’ fun of me ‘cause of my name.” He muttered.

~~~

-Azalea Town-

“Bread, I’d like to thank you and Anesthesia for saving the Slowpoke. Now more Pokémon, especially the Slowpoke will probably start visiting again.” Kurt thanked. “Maybe, after you’re gym battle you can stop by for a visit. I’ll make some custom Pokéballs for you to use on your journey.”

“Thanks Mr. Kurt.”

“Just doing my job.” Kurt then went back to his house, his granddaughter running up to greet him. Bread only had the gym left before leaving the once again peaceful town. He noticed something brushed up on his jeans. It was Anesthesia. She explained to Bread that she wanted to go with Bread. “If that Team Rocket ever decides to show up, make sure I’m there to whoop them.”

**Anesthesia was sent to Elm’s Lab!**

~~~

Part 2: Vs. Bugsy [TRIGGER WARNING] 

-Azalea Town Gym-

The “puzzle” as it was was fairly simple, choose the correct Spinarak robot and flip the correct levers to get to bugsy. The Spinarak bots moved over some “pits”. Well they were pits, but not the dangerous kind. They were ball pits.The gym guide mentioned something about how Bugsy mentioned safety precautions and to “think of the children”. After many lever switches he finally reached the gym leader. “Heya! I’m Bugsy. You must be a challenger. Ever since I was a young boy I’ve-”

“What? Excuse me?”

“Is something the matter?”

“You’re a boy!?”

“You-you thought…”

“Yes?” Rage filled he-his eyes.

“This happens every single time! I thought I specifically told everyone in this gym to mention I was a boy. Arceus Christ.”

“I’m sorry. I just assumed.”

“That’s what they all say. Anyway, you came here for a Pokémon battle. Let’s do it. Go, Trim!”

“Okay Cargamento, let’s show him who’s boss.”

~~~

Part 4: Vs. Silver (Again?)

Bread yawned as he exited the gym, Cargamento was in a cheerful mood after that victory. “Another gym badge. Time to hit the road for Goldenrod.”

Right as they approached the gate to Ilex Forest, they heard a voice. “Stop right there!” It was Silver. “Heard from of the people here that you beat Team Rocket. I’m surprised someone like you managed to take them on. Let’s battle to see how good you really are.” A sinister smile grew on his face. “Grudge, let’s go.”

“Joey, bite him.” He commanded as he sent him out.

“Curse!”

“Fuck you, you shitty bitch ass rat!”

“Ouch!” Joey yelped in pain, but it seems like SIlver’s Gastly also took damage from that move. “Oh you’re a fucking dead ghost now!” _Was the swearing part of the move or was it a bad attempt to piss off Joey?In any case it worked._ The Gastly went down, but the curse was still in affect, Joey took more damage, he was dangerously low. Silver sent out another new addition to the team, a Zubat named Echo. _Great another Zubat._ Knowing Flair was still in the back, Bread played it safe and sent out Charbok first. The rest was straightforward. As Flair fainted, even though Kawaii was still inside his Pokéball, he knew that he was sad his friend ended up in the hands of a trainer like this. Silver whispered under his breath. “Huh?”

“I said I hate weak trainers. Like Team Rocket, they truly are weak. They think strength in numbers is all they need. I need to get stronger. I don’t have time to bother with flies such as you.” He disappeared through the gate, into the gloomy Ilex Forest. Cargamento told Bread, “That boy is really scary. And he sure is mad at those Team Rocket people.”

Cargamento made a point. He wondered why Silver’s words about Team Rocket were filled with such malice towards them. _Sure, they are pretty weak, but he wasn’t even there when he fought them. And even after that, people around town said that they’re harmless, ever since Giovanni disappeared._ With that thought in mind, he entered the dark forest.

~~~

Part 5: Sounds Farfetch’d 

-Ilex Forest-

The bunched up trees loomed overhead, the canopy blocking most of the sunlight. It would be hard to cut straight through. Even in the brightest days, the forest seems like it is forever plagued by dusk. On top of that the forest was huge. Luckily, paths were made but it was looked like a giant corn maze by looking at the maps they provided at the gates. _Who needs maps anyway?_ The Ilex Forest was also known to have a shrine for Celebi, the guardian. It was quite small, but it seemed to blend in with the forest, like Celebi’s appearance. Maybe one day, Bread will come across Celebi. But that seemed unlikely.

 

Looking around, there was a man with a disappointed look on his face, sitting next to one of the trees. “What seems to be the matter mister?”

“It’s the Farfetch’d. We were just collecting some wood for the charcoal and they seem to have wandered off, and we’re kind of in a hurry to get them into the kiln.”

“Oh I’ll do it.”

“You will?”

“Why not? Happy to help those in need.”

“Thank you so much. Here’s the thing: Farfetch’d are alert to any sudden noises so be careful. Just sneak up on them and you’ll get them easily.”

~~~

Getting the first Fartfetch’d was easy enough, but the second one proved to be a challenge. Sticks were everywhere and they kept running away. Then came an idea.

“Why do you want me to do this?” Cargamento questioned Bread.

“To help get the Fartfetch’d. Like I said, all you need to do is scare them, so they run in the direction not towards you.”

“But why would they run away from me?” said Cargamento while tilting his head. It was true that Cargamento was really cute. Surely anyone who would give one glance may run up with open arms, that is, if trying to hug a slug wouldn’t burn you. But in this case, the Farfetch’d would be wary of a random Pokémon not native to the forest “chasing” after them.

“Just trust me, on this, they may just be pulling a prank on their owner, but when they see a slugma approaching them in a forest, I’ll bet you that they’re bringing their sorry as back to them.”

“I think… I understand… I’ll try!” His flame-like extensions above his eyes flared up with determination.

~~~

“This forest sure is giganormous.” That was Cargamento’s way of describing the forest. Luckily the path the Farfetch’d is enclosed. Upon reaching the back of the path, the Farfetch’d was all by their lonesome, smirking to themselves.

“I sure got him. Can’t wait to see his face when the boss gets mad at him… Oh wait we’d still be in trouble too…  That’s worth the reaction.” Cargamento slowly trudged along.

“Hiya friend!”

“Hm?”

“I’m supposed to be all scary ‘n stuff so this is the part where you get scared or something! Grrrr.” The Farfetch’d was cautious, but for a Slugma, they were approaching fast. Man it was hot. _Did Slugma usually create that much heat around them?_ They thought. It was even more worrisome when he noticed scorched earth behind Cargamento’s trail. He needed to run. He quickly ran towards the right since he could make circles around the fiery slug but was greeted with open arms and a, “Gotchu you little fucker.” instead. It seemed like Cargamento maybe took “being scary” a little too far.

~~~

“Oh thank you so much! As a token of my thank’s here’s a piece of charcoal.”

“Uh, thanks? Anyway, we should be going now.” They both went their separate ways, only to become distant memories eventually, but it seems like the second Farfetch’d might have the occasional nightmare about a giant Slugma burning down the forest.

~~~

The rest of the forest was pretty serene, but it was a pretty long journey. Luckily, there were also villages in the forest that served as rest points and allowed for easy transport of supplies between Goldenrod City and Azalea Town. Bread could tell he was close to the end of the forest. He vaguely remembered glancing at the map board in the last village but couldn’t tell which way to go, it seemed to be he was not alone either. A girl dressed in a kimono, similar to the one who he met in Violet City, seemed hesitant on where to go. “Oh it seems you are lost in the forest as well. What a shame. If only my map hadn’t slipped out. And it seems the same happened to you.” Bread did not have the courage that he never took a map. Of course, 1 to 2 had to save the day as he studied the map in its entirety. “If my mind serves me right, it appears to be that way.” His wing pointing in the direction of the exit.

“Why thank you. Well I guess I should be going now, or I might get scolded again for getting lost and wandering off.” After a few moments, Bread headed the same direction the kimono girl went. “I told you we should’ve taken a map.” He sarcastically said to 1 to 2. He just rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of disappointment as they exited Ilex Forest.

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up taking a long time to write because of writing the fight scenes cause I struggle writing those. Also the fact that Octopath Traveler came out has been consuming my time for the past week. Side note: the part about Bugsy in part 3 is completely a joke and I know what I was doing please don't take it seriously. Like always, hope you enjoy, kudos and comments are appreciated.
> 
> Anesthesia; Slowpoke; Female; Modest; Own Tempo; Lv. 6; Slowpoke Well
> 
> Sight; Paras; Female; Mild; Effect Spore; Lv. 6; Ilex Forest


	6. The Day Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: A Brief Reunion  
> Part 2: In Elm’s Best Interest  
> Part 3: Lyra’s Journey

Part 1: A Brief Reunion 

-Day Care Center, Route 34-

It was… peaceful. Bread and Kawaii casually strolled through Route 34, a slight hint of the sea was in the air. Compared to Ilex Forest, the route was fairly straightforward, a nice change of pace. At least Bread will remember to use a map if it’s offered. Halfway through the path, there saw a young girl that resembled Lyra’s appearance playing with a Marill just outside of the Day Care. He could recognize that large hat from anywhere. Oh it was Lyra. Her Marill, Delphi,  appeared to be stronger as well. It seemed like yesterday Lyra had received Delphi as a gift for her fifth birthday. He remembered the times where they would play hide-and-seek, often bothering Professor Elm. “What a surprise to find you here.” Bread said while approaching the two.

“Oh hiya Bread! I see you caught up to us.”

“So what brings you two here.”

“My grandparents own the Day Care. I just came by to drop something off. I’ll explain once we get inside.”

The inside of the Day Care was fairly small, with an old couple at the front desk and a PC next to it. The room next to it was fenced off, and a large opening leading to the outside.

“Ah welcome Lyra.” The old lady said. “I see you brought a boy… friend.”

“Grandma…”

“Oh I jest. What brings you here today.”

“I came to drop off a Pokémon.” _A Pokémon? But Lyra only has Delphi…_ Looking closer at the side of Lyra’s bag, there seemed to be a pocket where Pokéballs were securely stored. She reached inside to grab a Pokéball and out popped Jaws, the Totodile.

“Jaws!” Kawaii exclaimed. He rushed up to hug him. Chikorita had evolved into a Bayleef shortly after the Team Rocket incident. “You’ve grown.”

“You’re so different now! I’m close to evolving. I assume Flair has also evolved since then...”

“Yeah… But why are you here?”

“I was just about to talk about that.” Lyra butted in. “I would usually take a shorter way to get to Goldenrod but I wanted to see what it was like to go on somewhat of a journey like you Bread, and took the longer way to get here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot to take in so I’ll start from the beginning. It was right after you left New Bark Town to go start your journey.”

~~~

Part 2: In Elm’s Best Interest 

Elm knew that after the accident, Jaws was at a risk for being taken. He couldn’t just keep him here. And since he knew that Lyra’s grandparents ran a Day Care, it would be perfect for Jaws. He would at least have company. Elm was really caught up in his research lately, but he was always caught up in his research. Ever since he discovered that Pokémon lay eggs in the wild Elm, spent a lot of time researching into how breeding actually worked. As more breakthroughs were discovered, Pokémon breeders emerged as a new trainer class. Of course, Elm couldn’t just drop off the egg himself. There was so much work to be done, and he couldn’t bother Bread again.

“Of course we’ll do it Professor Elm!”

“Wait really?”

“Don’t you worry professor. My grandparents will take good care of Jaws, they’re great company.”

“Oh thank you so much. If Bread asks about it tell him the truth.”

“I’d rather it be a surprise, besides, he would think its just another visit to my grandparents again.”

“I see. Well good luck on your journey. Jaws is technically in your care now.” After some goodbyes, she left New Bark Town and now starts her own journey.

~~~

Part 3: Lyra’s Journey 

-Route 30-

Lyra was not like Bread. She remembered when they would play pretend as kids. Bread pretended to be the “strongest and bestest Pokémon trainer and more stronger than Red”, and Lyra would pretend to be a challenger. It was kind of unfair how Bread won pretend Pokémon battles most of the time. They would both talk about how they wanted to travel around the Johto region. Now, she had that opportunity. Along the way, she caught a Sentret named Fluffernut. Of course the rest of the team were having fun, but it seemed like Jaws was upset to leave his home. “Jaws!” Delphi said. “It’s time you turn that frown, upside down.”

“I know, I know. It’s that New Bark Town had so many memories.”

“We all know Jaws.” Lyra began. “But still, this is a journey! At least have some fun.”

“Oh I know.” Fluffernut butted in. “I’ll tell you some jokes. What did one Geodude say to another?”

“I don’t know. What?”

“‘Let’s rock!’” She burst out with laughter and so did the others. Jaws let out a small chuckle. “See you laughed.”

“Only a little.”

“I guess we’ll have to resort to…” Fluffernut had a devilish grin on her face. Then she pounced. “Tickle you!” Jaws couldn’t help but laugh then.

“Ahahaha! Stop it hurts. I give in, you got me.” Fluffernut then let go.

“See Jaws, friends will help cheer you up.” Lyra started. “Sure it’s just one bad thing to leave your home, but think about all the good memories you’ll have with us. Plus, we’re taking the long way to the Day Care. Who knows what’s in store?”

“You’re right. I will have fun on this journey.” And off the four went to Violet City.

~~~

-Ruins of Alph-

Shortly after Bread and Lyra went their separate ways, she stopped by the Ruins of Alph. Most of the weathered down buildings were either empty or broken, but some of them had mysterious puzzles and entrances to a vast underground cavern, full of Unown. She thought it would be nice for them to explore a little bit and turning on the radio in the area would be sure to freak them out. On top of one of the broken down buildings. A Natu was standing on the roof, the sun directly behind them. “You there!” he shouted. “I am Prophet. I can predict the future. And today I predict that this will be the end of you right here.” The Natu used Lucky Chant and danced around. “Come and get me. Unless you want to meet your demise.” He maniacally laughed, but Lyra seemed unimpressed. “Jaws, use Water Gun.”

Prophet fell off the roof soaking wet. “Hey, you can’t do that. I am Prophet, the all seeing-” He was cut off as soon as the Pokéball connected with his head. Three shakes, and Prophet was caught. Upon release, he was still wet, but with a look of defeat on his face. “Of course I got caught by a trainer.”

“Tough luck.” Jaws said.

“Well,” Lyra spoke while bending down. “You’re with us now!”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad. I can see it now… Prophet, battling alongside his fellow companions. Together we shall rule the world!”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

~~~

Lyra never was one to battle many trainers she encountered, but for the ones that she did battle, she made a promise to them that they would battle again sometime. She enjoyed the thrill of battling. It was only then while traveling through Union Cave that tragedy struck. It was a battle with a firebreather. Fluffernut was low and was just poisoned but Lyra knew she would be able to live another hit with the poison damage after.

“Tackle!” the firebreather commanded. The Koffing charged into Fluffernut, a little too hard this time and ended up crashing into a wall. The Koffing quickly recovered but Fluffernut was still dazed. Then the cave rumbled above as dust fell from the cavern ceiling. The rocks fell. Lyra and the others shielded their eyes from the debris. As it cleared, she noticed everyone else was present and safe. Except Fluffernut. “Fluffernut?” she yelled. The battle had come to a halt. She didn’t want to accept it, but Fluffernut was buried by the rocks.

With the help of Prophet’s psychic powers and wild Geodudes, they removed the fallen rocks. When one Geodude picked up a particular rock, Lyra noticed blood. She feared the worst. They had found the body. It was too gruesome to look at, Lyra felt sick. The once beautiful brown fur was now covered in dust and stained with blood. She couldn’t hold back the tears. Outside of the cave, she buried Fluffernut, and put a marker on the now covered grave. The others comforted her throughout the night. The nightmare of the event, kept playing over and over. She didn’t have to do this, but she choose this path anyway.

Lyra woke up the next day, her pillow covered in drool, and face dried from tears. Her Pokémon slept peacefully beside her. She couldn’t give up. Elm was counting on her to do this. Fluffernut was so cheerful and encouraging. Her smile could light up an audience of people. Now it was gone. She wondered what Fluffernut would say. Then remembered how she cheered up Jaws with corny jokes. Lyra smiled at the memory. Fluffernut would want her to keep going. And so she pushed on. Lyra still battled other trainers, but the memory still stung in the back of her mind.

~~~

“And so after Ilex Forest, I dropped by in Goldenrod before coming back here.”

“Lyra, I’m sorry what happened to your Sentret.” Bread didn’t want to even think about one of his Pokémon dying.

“It wasn’t anyone's fault.” She was right. “Anyway, I should be going now. I’ll come back to visit once in a while Jaws!”

Kawaii and Jaws said their goodbyes. Maybe one day they would see each other again. Bread and Lyra waved goodbye, leaving the Day Care behind, to enter the bustling Goldenrod City.

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew first Pokemon death of the series! I can finally add the "Pokemon Death" tag. It wasn't one of my Pokemon though. Not yet at least, hehe. Likes and comments are appreciated. (also I added the headbutt encounter in Azalea Town)
> 
> P.S feel free to leave any questions you have to Bread, or any of the Pokemon on his team and maybe I'll answer them (or if there are enough, which is unlikely, compile them into a Q&A)
> 
> Cheers; Aipom; Male; Calm; Run Away; lv. 6; Azalea Town
> 
> Hypno K.K.; Drowzee; Male; Impish; Insomnia; lv. 10; Route 34


	7. Goldenrod Gasps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: Bikes and Game Corners  
> Part 2: Tunnels and Shopping Malls  
> Part 3: Vs. Whitney (Whiny Whitney that is)  
> Part 4: *Insert Legend of Zelda Reference Here*  
> Part 5: Nationalism Park

Part 1: Bike Shops and Game Corners 

-Goldenrod City: A Happening Big City-

Bread and Lyra entered the bustling Goldenrod City, the giant skyscrapers loomed over head. They had lunch at a seafood restaurant, called “Goldensea”. 1 to 2 recommended the place though added that Olivine City did have better seafood. Lyra said she was going to take a break at the hotel, but mentioned how she would go the Goldenrod Department Store later. For now, Charbok and Bread walked around to see what the city had to offer. It was super busy after lunch time, people rushed to get back to their workplace and the duo was left to fend for themselves. They managed to get through the sea of people and ended up on a vacant side street containing a bike shop. It was open, but empty by the looks of it. Stepping inside was a man slumped over on the desk, sleeping. Bike racks were filled, but it seemed no one had touched them, they were all dusty. _Has anyone visited this shop?_ Walking and running to get to places maybe fine but biking may prove to be useful. Especially since he had yet to hatch the egg he received from Professor Elm.

“Excuse me?” The man woke up with a startle, now noticing the kid and the snake on the other side of the counter.

“I apologize for snoozing on the job. I opened up this chain store in Johto, but I haven’t had any luck in customers.” _Maybe because it was so out of the way._ “Hey, kid! Here’s an idea: You ride one of my bikes around for me, and I’ll let you keep it for free.” The offer was really tempting. Free stuff was free stuff.

“Done and done!” He grabbed a bike that looked the most appealing to him. Colored blue with a white strip in the middle. Of course there were helmets, but who needs helmets. But for safety reasons, the shop owner forced him to get a bike helmet as well. Its color was as green as a forest. He once again thanked the shop owner and took the bike for a ride around the city.

~~~

-Goldenrod Game Corner-  

Bread stopped by the game corner, where both kids and adults alike could spend their whole time there. Only two types of games were there; Voltorb Flip and the slot machines. The slot machines were off limits to kids in Johto. It may have been due to the famous trainer, Red, used a slot machine and got lucky 7s and kids started going to game corners too. Kids were never supposed to be in the game corners, but owners saw an opportunity (got greedy) and decided to make the game corners more kid friendly and thus, Voltorb Flip was introduced. Maybe one day Bread would get to meet the one he looked up too he looked up too. Red was somewhat of an inspiration. Hearing news of kid year old bringing down an evil organization was so cool to him. Now here he was three years later, going on his own adventures.

Memories aside he decided to try his hand at Voltorb Flip. It was fun but he could never really get into the game. Of course when Geoff and 1 to 2 tried they easily won, but maybe Geoff was cheating sometimes.

~~~

Part 2: Tunnels and Shopping Malls 

-Goldenrod Tunnel-

Underneath the city, the tunnel was mostly used to easily get from one side to the other, but there were also some small shops and kiosks selling souvenirs. Some trainers were eagerly waiting in the tunnel as well itching to fight passing trainers. One path of the tunnel led to a dead end, but on the other side, it opened up to a photo booth. It would be nice to take a picture with the team. Everyone got in position to take the photo. Joey, as reluctant as they were to get out, agreed to the photo anyway.

Exiting on the other side of the tunnel, he saw the Goldenrod City Gym and right next to it was the flower shop, “Sunflora and Fauna”. Just a few blocks away stood the Goldenrod Department Store. They could use a little shopping.

~~~

-Goldenrod Department Store-

The store had many floors for almost everything. Bread had bought some healing items and a few Pokéballs. Having a peak at the basement, Machoke were hustling about moving the various crates. Some items were left behind and the workers said that he was free to take some of them. On the fifth floor was the TM Corner. All the shelves were lined with various TMs. His Pokémon could learn all sorts of moves here. Too bad they were so expensive. He once again met up with Lyra. “Bread please go clothes shopping with me?”

“Why?”

“Because, why not. You need some new clothes as well. Don’t tell me you’re going to rotate the same two outfits over and over.”

“That was kinda the plan?”

“Come on let’s go.” Lyra grabbed Bread by the wrist and took them to the clothing floor. Lyra was right. He could use some new jeans and a jacket at the least. Maybe an umbrella too…

While sorting through the racks of jeans she noticed a familiar face, along with a Bronzong carrying a load of shopping bags.

“Hey… I think I’ve met you before?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it. Name’s Kippy by the way, if you forgot.”

“Well I go by Bread. Also a nickname. I would like to thank you again for helping me get the Slugma egg.”

“It was no big deal.”

“Do you live here?”

“No, I’m here doing some shopping before I leave for Sinnoh in two days. Me and my family were just visiting relatives. Maybe if you visit sometime you can stop by in Veilstone City.” Sinnoh was far away from Johto. Kanto was only a train ride away due to the newly installed Magnet Train. He did have grandparents who lived there and visited when he was younger. A buzz came from Kippy’s pocket. Unlike Johto, Sinnoh used more advanced forms of communication. Most people still relied on Pokégears, but slowly, a shift was happening.

Kippy checked her phone. “Well, I gotta go. Here, we'll exchange numbers."

"See ya."

"Wait before I go. Have you heard of Arceus?"

"The Sinnoh Legendary said to have created the universe? What about it?"

"Oh nevermind." She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm leaving now. Hopefully one day we’ll see each other again one day.”

Shortly after, Lyra came back with pile of clothing and they both left the store, bags in hands. Maybe one day, Bread would meet Kippy again.

~~~

Part 3: Vs. Whitney (Whiny Whitney That Is) 

-Goldenrod Radio Tower-

The radio tower stood in the heart of the city. It hosted all kinds of radio shows from podcasts to music. He was ready to face the gym, but was informed that the gym leader was at the tower due to giving away free radio cards via quizzes. Upon entering, a girl with red hair and pigtails stopped in front of Bread.

“Hmm… You must be a trainer! I can see it in your eyes. Be seeing you at the gym. Just wanted to get my radio card today. You should too!” She then leaned in closer and whispered, “The quiz is really easy, even a five year old can do it.”

Whitney was right. He obtained his radio card with ease. Bread was mostly excited to listen to the “Pokémon Music” station since it occasionally played music from the distant regions. But listening to music could be saved for later. He was ready for the gym.

~~~

-Goldenrod City Gym-

A bird’s eye view of the gym was stationed at the front of the gym. Not only did it help some trainers navigate through its twists and turns but showed that the gym was inspired by Clefairy. He was greeted by the cheerful Whitney upon reaching the end. “A new challenger. Seems like we’ve met in the radio tower.”

“Yep. Name’s Bread.”

“Well you already know me. So let’s get straight into it. Go, Luna!” Whitney sent out her inspiration of her gym. Bread had Kawaii in front to start out the battle. “Use Metronome.”

Luna wagged her finger in front of Kawaii and a vortex of air was directed towards Kawaii. As strong as it seemed, Kawaii held on. Metronome is unpredictable after all. The Clefairy was taken down shortly after. Rumors have been spread far and wide about Whitney’s Milktank. The tragedy, the suffering, the nightmares. But it was just a Milktank… Right?

“Mil Mil! It’s your time to shine!” Bread had just the plan.

“Poison Powder, now!”  The Milktank was only poisoned for a brief moment, but it wore off since it ate a lum berry.

“Use attract, and then keep stomping.” Bread truly learned what those rumors meant. Kawaii broke through the infatuation quickly and Mil Mil was once again was inflicted with poison. “Kawaii, you can stand back for now. Geoff can handle the rest.”

“Hmph! Just rinse and repeat for us. Right, Mil Mil?”

“Right. Let’s see if you can break through all the hacks like your little friend.

“Hey.” Kawaii spoke up. The effects of Attract were still wearing off. “I’m a grower not a shower.” Charbok quickly popped out and rushed Kawaii off before more was said.

The experience was excruciatingly painful to sit through. The battle took so long, it seemed like you were able to find a shiny Pokémon at this rate. The battle concluded with Mil Mil fainting. Geoff ran up to the passed out Milktank shouting, “I’m sorry my love! It just had to be this way.” After returning Geoff, Bread had noticed Whitney was crying. He was unsure of how to act. Comfort her? Walk away? A gym trainer told Bread to walk up to her.

“Hey are you okay?”

“Yeah…” She pouted a little. “Sometimes after me and my Pokémon lose a gym battle, I just need a good cry. It’s both tears of joy and defeat. It may not be fair for me, but I guess that’s how the cookie crumbles. But I enjoyed it! We should definitely battle again sometime. Here’s your badge, and, ironically, the TM for Attract.”

~~~

Part 4: *Insert Legend of Zelda Reference Here* 

After exiting the gym, Whitney had mentioned to stop by the flower shop next door. Lately, there was news of a group of Sudowoodo blocking the path to Ecruteak. They have seemed to claim it as their favorite spot and acted aggressive to those who tried to disturb them.

“You must be Bread. Congratulations on your win.”

“Why thank you. I heard to stop by here.”

“Of course, Whitney told me. Here is your Squirt Bottle. This should be able to take care of the pesky Sudowoodo.” Bread received the Squirt Bottle and it was practically emitting light in his hands, but the was due to the bright lighting in the shop. He waved goodbye to the shopkeep and headed to Route 35, where National Park, and the Pokéthlon were located.

Part 5: Nationalism Park

-National Park-

It was beautiful. It seemed like a perfect day for all his Pokémon to play in the park together. A fountain stood in the middle of the park and the main area was designed as a Pokéball with tall and long grass placed on both sides where some wild Pokémon were also located. Bug catching contests were also held here. Today happened to be one of those days. Bread just choose to watch bug catchers and manicas alike chasing after the copious but Pokémon. Geoff, Joey and Kawaii were having fun near the fountain, splashing water on each other. Charbok, and 1 to 2 were resting on the park bench next to him, while Cargamento was playing with the Sunflora and Sunkern nearby.

“For a bug catching contest. There sure are many Pinsirs today. Usually they, along with Scyther, are rarely encountered during these contests.

“Say, 1 to 2? What else do you know about Pinsir?”

“I have heard that they sometimes compete with Heracross for certain trees.”

“Now that you mention it. I could have sworn that I saw one Heracross here earlier.”

“That is most certainly odd. Heracross do not normally reside here. I have concluded that from the amount of Pinsir currently in National Park.” Bread started to connect the facts together. _I have a bad feeling about this._ A noise was coming from the nearby trees. It sounded like the flapping of many wings, but not bird wings. It was a swarm of Heracross. As a precaution, Bread had safely returned his Pokémon to their Pokéballs.

Pokémon left and right scattered as the Heracross landed and huddled together in front of the fountain. The Pinsirs had done the same, facing towards them. One of them had stepped forward. “You know this is our turf Honeysuckle.”

“Well, we’re back to take what should have been ours.”

“Just go back to Azalea already.”

“Can’t hurt to try.”

“What’s going to hurt is you getting thrown into the ground.”

“We’ll see about that. Charge!” Pinch, and the other Pinsirs ran forward toward the Heracross. Honeysuckle and the others had done the same. They weren’t fighting like how Pokémon do in trainer battles, but almost as if they were wrestling with each other. “Can you believe it?” A voice exclaimed. “Heracross and Pinsirs wrestling for territory!”

“Bugsy?” Bread asked.

“Of course it’s me. I was here for the bug catching contest.”

“Guess I didn’t notice you. There were a lot of people after all.”

“Can’t believe you didn’t recognize a gym leader in a crowd of people. I feel insulted. But that doesn’t really matter! Look at these two Pokémon duke it out! It’s beautiful.”

“I wouldn’t call it beautiful, but to each their own.” Bugsy pulled out a camera from his satchel and started taking pictures. “I’ve gotta document this and study the photos later. Oh this is so good! I’ve never seen these two ‘mons wrestle in real life. Can you believe these Heracross came all the way from Azalea just to compete for the territory. From what I’ve heard, the tree sap here is really good…”

Bugsy droned on and on about his love for various bug types as the fight went on. The fight concluded as Pinch slammed Honeysuckle into the ground. The dust cleared and the Heracross appeared to be knocked out. Acting as a referee, Bugsy had declared the Pinsirs victorious.

“Well that was a fun match.” Pinch held out their hand to help Honeysuckle up.

“Well. You beat us fair and square once again. One day, this will be the territory of the Heracross.”

“You say that every time. I’ll believe it when Grumpigs fly.” The group of Heracross flew off and activities in National Park resumed as normal. Bugsy was excited, jumping up and down after what he just witnessed. “I can’t wait to post this all on my blog. The others will be so jealous! I have to return to Azalea Town as soon as possible. See ya Bread!”

Bugsy promptly left and that was Bread’s cue to leave as well. He now headed towards the Pokéathlon Dome to participate in the games, and hopefully hatch the egg the he received from Elm.

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Goldenrod was gonna be two chapters but I combined it into one since it was better that way. Originally, I didn't have much planned for National Park, but after doing some research I decided to make it "Turf war and Bugsy is there". As for the names of the Heracross and Pinsir: I just kinda made those up but Honeysuckle was the name of a Heracross I used in an old HGSS nuzlocke. I hope you all are ready for the next chapter cause it features everyones favorite rat. Likes and comments are appreciated.
> 
> Anastasia; Nidoran♀; Female; Naive; Poison Point; lv. 12; Route 35
> 
> Pop; Sunkern; Male; Relaxed; Chlorophyll; lv. 12; National Park
> 
> At this point in the fic: Kawaii is a Bayleef, 1 to 2 is a Noctowl, Joey is a Raticate


	8. Joey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: The Life  
> Part 2: The Abandonment  
> Part 3: The Savior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just putting stuff here at the beginning saying that I never read what I write because that how I am :) so i fixed some stuff in chapter 7 parts 2 and 3, especially towards the end of part 2.

Part 1: The Life

Joey was glad they left Goldenrod. Good riddance to that shithole of a city. Hopefully they would never have to set foot there ever again. It brought back too many memories. Good, and bad. He didn’t want to remember what happened. It was painful to remember. He wanted the memories to fade away. No one needed to know what he went through, but it wasn’t like he told anyone much anyway. They could only put together the pieces of the puzzle. One day he would tell them. But for some, they would be long gone to hear the story. He wished he could have told them. As much as they tried to push them to talk about it. He regretted that.

~~~

He was given as a gift to a boy who is now long forgotten. The face and name now a blur to the rat. The family somewhat spoiled him due to their wealth and kindness. He loved the family and especially the boy. It seemed like they did everything together. Almost inseparable. Joey remembers when he battled another Pokémon with a friend of the boy. He lost. Joey felt like he let down his trainer.

“I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“I lost.”

“That’s all?”

“You’re not sad?”

“Well, only a little but I’m glad we tried. Sometimes, battles are about having fun. Or that’s what mommy said! Did you have fun?” Joey thought about it.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Yay! That was so much fun. One day, you’ll be really strong and we can win,  _ and _ have fun.”

~~~

One day, the boy’s parents left one night, but never came back. Neither the boy, nor Joey knew what that meant at the time, but it was time that also taught them. Joey tried comforting the crying child, who was laying in the large bed where the parents once slept. Many nights were spent on this bed where they would all cuddle up, grab some popcorn, and watch movies together. Now it was just a memento. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Why are they gone. Why can’t they just come back.”

“I don’t know. I wish they could come back too.” They cuddled in silence before Joey soke up once more. “You remember that one time you scraped your knee?”

“Yeah?” The boy sniffled. “It hurt a lot.”

“Your dad said to stay strong even if you are hurting. I think, maybe we should take his advice in this case.”

“...Promise you’ll never leave me, Joey?”

“I promise.”

~~~

Part 2: The Abandonment

Relatives of the parents came to take care of both the boy and the rat. But they couldn’t stay in Goldenrod forever. They had to leave the city they were born and raised in. He never knew it would end up like this. Why did it have to end up like this.

Goldenrod was busy. Well, it was always busy. The city never really rests. But Goldenrod is super busy in the Summer.  They decided that it would be nice to take a last walk around the city before leaving. It was always nice to visit the park on a clear day, and the weather wasn’t too bad where the slides were on fire. The rest of the day was spent at the mall, buying some videogames for the trip and various items. With the sun starting to set they knew it was time to head back. 

~~~

“Stay close to me okay.”

“There sure are a lot of people.”

“We should’ve left earlier I’m sorry”

“...”

“Joey you still there?”

“...”

“Joey? Where are you? Joey?!”

~~~

He could hear him. Faintly. He tried calling out. Rushing towards the sound of his name. But all he saw were faces of giants and passing looks. He was scared. Where was he? He didn’t want to be lost. Not now.

He couldn’t even tell where he was. It was dark. He was alone. How would he get home? Thunder was rolling in. He needed to find shelter. Upon searching one of the alley’s, Joey came across a box. He decided he would stay there for the night and wait out the rain. He wondered where his owner was. He must be worried.  _ It’s cold. Where are you? Please. Find me. _

~~~

Gone. He was too late. The house was now empty, devoid of life. They left without him. 

_ “...Promise you’ll never leave me, Joey?” _

_ “I promise.” _

_ We made a promise. _

Joey had no choice but to sadly walk away off to who knows where.

~~~

He had to leave. Joey visited the empty house every day hoping that they would come back. They had too, right? Joey faced the truth only when strangers moved into the house again. Joey padded away from Goldenrod City, tears in his eyes as he left, but never looking back.

~~~

Part 3: The Savior

He was lucky he even made it that far. Joey’s only food source were ones he could find trashcans and various fruits that have fallen on the ground. It started to rain. From what he could read, it seemed he made it past Azalea Town. Joey was lost. Lost without his owner, his friend. He didn’t know why he was running away anymore at that point. He just wanted to get away from home. Could he still call it that? It started to rain.

Where was he even going? He couldn’t just wander forever. Joey couldn’t go any further.  _ Maybe it would be best to give up. If I die, the pain could go away. It’s not like he would miss me anyway. _

_ ~~~ _

On that day. I was saved Geoff. I’m still grateful for that. And you, Bread. Thank you. You still captured me even though I tried attacking you. I think you saw something that Kawaii. You also saved me in a sense I can’t explain. Some trust shit or something like that. And like my owner said. I’m winning battles and having fun, with you guys.

<><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I spent a lot of time on it (aka staring at the screen for several hours figuring out what im trying to fucking do). Likes and comments appreciated as always.


End file.
